Hmm, Maxent MX-50X5 50" on sale at best buy is a plasma monitor with 2 HDMI inputs, 100-240V 50/60Hz, 10000:1 contrast ratio, 1080i. I just cant find anywhere if it will work on PAL. Should though, as it has a broad input Hz range for HDMI

Yes -- there are NTSC and PAL DVDs. When I edit video, I output in a specific format, e.g. NTSC or PAL, and then burn to DVD. I've done this to convert PAL DVDs that my wife gets in China to NTSC.

Yes. HDMI uses uncompressed digital video signals. PAL and NTSC are analog.

That is what I meant by different spatial resolution.

The voltage part, however, can be fixed with a $60 (or less) voltage converter (best ones have a replacable fuse); and that is why I didn't point out the voltage difference. Sorry, I thought most already knew the voltage difference.

The frequency, however, is much harder and more costly to convert. And that is why I pointed it out as a major issue.

I'm in Dubai which uses PAL. I've had no problem outputting NTSC images to my PAL set. My VCR plays PAL and NTSC tapes and my DVD player is region free. It is easy to play NTSC on PAL than vice versa. Because PAL is higher resolution than NTSC, the circuitry involved is fairly simple to play a lower resolution image.

Think about your current computer monitor. It is easy to put an old 640 by 480 VGA image on a modern screen, but imagine when you try to do it the other way . To put a higher resolution image on a lower image screen, they need to use an algorithim that drops out a certain percentage of the lines, etc.

DVDs besides region also are encoded on in PAL or NTSC. Interestingly, SECAM seems to be gone in DVD standards. I have DVD authoring software. When I encode it, I have a choice of how I encode it. As a practical matter, I always encode for NTSC because everyone can play it. When I first started, I sent a region free PAL formatted disk to the US and the higher end DVDs would not play them. As noted above, the cheapies did.

My brother-in-law in the US always buys high-end DVD US spec equipment and cannot play anything from outside the US. I've always bought the cheap stuff and have done much better. Roughly half my DVDs are Region 0, 2, 3, or 5. The remainder are Region 1 (with the exception of one box set from Australia).

If I were going to take a TV set across the Atlantic, I'd be taking PAL to the US rather than vice versa.

Yes, but beware the fine print:

There are also other places on the web you can find similar items for sale. A good place to start searching is Froogle.

Thanks for all your input, Ill do a bit more research into this, and see what I get.

One word of advice -- no time unfortunately for a long explanation -- DON'T DO IT!! But basically rudeboy is right... You will not save anything and will end up frustrated if and when it intermittently works... There's a reason NTSC broadcasts at 30 fps and PAL 25 fps, and it has to do with electrical frequencies, and even with HDMI you will have problems.

Workaround: a large HD monitor purchased locally (eg from Dell or Apple) and two DVD players, one set to Region 1 and one set to Region 2 (you should be able to change regions on new DVD players).

Really it's very false economy to attempt such a thing (plus what about import duty?). Good luck.

HDMI supports 50 Hz as well as 60 Hz signals.

Hi everyone. I'm a long time lurker and I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in with this topic.

I am currently stationed in Italy and bought an NTSC 110-only HDTV 1 year ago. Prior to that I had a multisystem tv (non-HD) that I used with my Sky Italia satellite service (PAL only). Along with the hdtv I also bought a Samsung multisystem vcr that also acts as a PAL to NTSC converter so I can keep my Sky Italia service. So basically my set up is as follows:

Sat receiver (via composite cable) -> Multisystem VCR (via composite cable) -> HDTV

Works like a charm.

My DVD player is NTSC so I don't have any experience converting PAL DVD player signal throught the VCR.

Hope that helps a little.

On the subject of PAL.... we have our own PAL-N norm down here in Argentina... which was a real pain back in the old VHS days...